Liner inserter for teat cups of milking machines



Sept. 21 1926.

J. L. HULBERT LINER INSERTER FOR BEAT CUPS.0F MILKING MACHINES Filed April so; 1926 W/TIYESS.

Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT, oFFicE.

JOHN L. HULBERT, or POUGHKEEPSIE, NEwvoaK, assrenon TO THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A coaronarron or NEW JERSEY,

LINER IN SERTER FOR TEAT CUPS OF MILKING MACHINES.

Application filed April 30,

The object of my invention is to facilitate the insertion of rubber liners in teat cups of milking machines.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, as applied to a teat cup of known construction, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which' Figs. 1 to 41 inclusive contain sectional elevations of a teat cup shell and liner; Figs. 2, 3 and 4; also showing the liner inserting device in successive operative positions.

Fig. '5 is a section through that end of the shell to which .the cap is applied- Fig. 6 is a plan view of the inserter.

The elements of a complete teat cup of typical construction comprise a shell (4- .en larged at its upper end and contracted at its lower end, a flexible .and elastic (rubber) liner 7) extending through the shell, the upperend of which is expanded around a ring a and engages the enlarged'top of the shelland the lower end of which projects beyond, and is folded down upon the outside of, the shell, and a cup bottom at which encloses the contracted lower end of the shell and carries a ring d threaded on the shell adjacent such contracted lower end.

In assembling the teat cup, the liner 6, with the ring 0 inserted, is slipped into the shell a. The normal length of the linerthat is, its length when unstretched longitudinally-is less than that of the shell. In the usual operation, the operator must insert his finger or thumb into the lower end of the liner and stretch the liner longitudinally. until a considerable length thereof extends beyond the lower endof the shell, and then, while maintaining the liner so stretched, fold the end thereof over the small end of the shell. This requires considerable muscular force and some degree of skill, and even to those accustomed to the work the operation is laborious and slow.

IVith the use of my improved liner in: serter, the operation is much more easy and expeditious and involves the exercise of little or no skill.

The inserter comprises a base 0 having a hole enclosed by a boss f on which are mounted a number of fingers g. The free upper ends ofthe fingers extend inward and screwed tight.

1926. Serial No. 105,649.

expanding force to the contractedneck g.

Mounted on the base adjacent its edge is a standard IL" on which is pivoted a wing 27,

which throughout a part of its length is curved on an are more or less approximately corresponding to the arc of curvature of the shell wall. This wing constitutes a combined lock and gauge, as hereinafter explained The expander 76 is merely a tube adapted to be inserted into the hole in the base 0. Its upward movement therein is limited by a shoulder m.

In operation, the liner Z) with the ring inserted in place is slipped into the upper end of the shell until its further movement is arrested by the engagement of its ringexpanded end with the shoulder at the enlarged upperen'd of the shell. This stage of the operation is shownin Figure 1, it being understood that the parts are therein showil in an inverted position.

The inserter, with the combined gauge and lock 2' swung inward,. i s -then forced into place until its movementof .entry is arres ed by the engagement of the combined gauge and lock with the end of the liner, as shown in Figure 2. i

The. expander 70 is then forced inpla ce, I

expanding the fingers g and in turn expand ing the liner, as shown in Fig.3. The com} blned gauge and lock 2' is then swung out as 1 enlarged end of the shell as shown in Fig. 4.

Theprojecting end of the liner is'then folded back over the small end of the shell, the cup bottom d positioned and the ring cl The combined gauge and lock is then swung out, the expander removed and the inserter withdrawn. 7

lVhile the invention is shown as applied to a specific construction of teat cup,,it is applicable to tea-t cups of other constructions.

I-Iaving now fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells which comprise an expansible device adapted to be inserted in the liner and an expander insertable in one end of the shell and slidable within the liner and adapted to expand the expansible device and cause it to grip the liner, the expansible device being movable beyond its liner-gripping position to stretch theliner and project it beyond the other end of the'shell to permit it to be readily engaged with the shell.

2. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells which comprise an expansible inserter insertable in the liner and adapted to be expanded to grip the liner and an expander insertable in one end of the shell and slidable within the inserter, and adapted to engage the inserter and expand it and also to engage the inserteraand, while the latter grips the liner, stretch the, liner to project it into position to allow it to be readily engaged with the other end of the shell. 7

8. Means for inserting liners in tea pander: the inserter comprising an orinc d v slidable within the inserter and adapted in its sliding movement to expand the cage and cause it to grip the liner and also to engage the cage and move it bodily to stretch the liner and project it into position to allow it to be readily engaged with the shell. 7

4:. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells consisting of an inserter and an expander: the inserter comprising an 'orificed base and wire fingers mounted on said base around said orifice, the tree upper ends of the fingers extending inward and the fingers having inwardly extending bends below their free ends; the expander being insertable through said orifice and slidable within the inserter and in its sliding movement adapted to engage said inward bends and thereby expand the upper ends of the fingers and cause them to grip the liner and also in its sliding movement adapted to engage the free ends of the fingers and move them bodily to stretch the liner longitudinally.

5. Means for inserting liners in teat cu shells which comprise an expansible device adapted to be inserted in the liner, and an expander insertable in one end of the shell and slidable within the expansible device and adapted to expand it and cause it to grip the liner and then to move said device bodily to cause it to stretch the liner longitudinally, and a combined gauge and lock movable into position to limit the movement of the expansible device into the liner before and during the insertion of the expander cup; shells, consisting of an inserter and an exand movable out of said position during bodily movement of the expanderand expansible device and movable into position to lock the expander against substantial recession from thelast position to which it is moved.

6. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells which comprises an expansible device adapted to be inserted in the liner an expander adaptedto expand said device to cause it to grip the liner and also to move it bodily to cause it to longitudinally stretch the liner, and means carried'by the expansible device and adapted to be moved into and out of position to limitthe inserting movement of said device after it grips the liner.

7. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells which comprises an expansible device adapted to be inserted in the lineig'an expander adapted to. expand said device to cause it to grip'the liner and also to move it bodily to cause it to longitudinally stretch the liner, and means carried by the expansible device and adapted to be moved into and out of position to hold said device in fixed relation with the liner after it has stretched the liner longitudinally.

8. Means for inserting liners in teat cup shells which comprises an expansible device adapted to be'insertedin the liner, an expander adapted to' expand said device to cause it to grip the liner and also'to move it bodily to cause it to longitudinally stretch the liner, and a combined lockand gauge carried by the expansible device and adapted to be moved into and outoi position to limit the inserting movement of said device until after it grips the liner and also movable into and out of position to hold said device in fixed relation. with the liner after it has stretched the liner longitudinally.

9. Means for inserting a liner in a teat' 1 l a 4. 1 t .cup snell having an exteinal shoulder at its upper end, consisting of an inserter comprising an orificed baseand an expansible element mounted on said base, an expander insertable through said orifice and slidable within the expansible device and adapted in its initial sliding movement to expand the said element and cause it to grip the liner N. Y.-, on this 22nd day ofApril. 1926.

JOHN L; HULBERT. 

